


He's Gone

by Precious_Peter_Parker



Category: Avengers: Infinity War - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Dad!Tony, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt, May and Tony are in pain, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Short One Shot, Sort Of, and so am i, not much comfort, the first story I've finished in forever tbh, the first story I've posted in forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 20:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15081431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Precious_Peter_Parker/pseuds/Precious_Peter_Parker
Summary: ***INFINITY WAR SPOILERS***May wrapped herself in her arms again as she stared at Tony with pleading eyes. “Please. Where is he? Where is my Peter?”“He...” Tony choked out, casting his eyes to the floor, unable to take the pain in her eyes anymore. “He's gone."





	He's Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Reminder: This story has INFINITY WAR SPOILERS!  
> You've been warned.
> 
> This is just a really short (like REALLY short) thing that I decided to write. I haven't written something and completed it in a long time, so my writing may not be that great. Go easy on me. lol
> 
> I thank God for my writing ability that I clearly don't know how to use. I used to be better, I think. Sort of. Probably not.
> 
> ANYWAY, ENJOY!
> 
> (Also, I own none of these characters. If I did, Tony would have already adopted Peter.)

Tony stood on the side of a poorly paved road in Forest Hills, Queens. Cars were honking and speeding by behind him, rushing to get to where ever they were headed, but he paid them no attention as his stared up at the apartment building in front of him. He clearly remembered the last time he had been standing in front of an apartment building in Queens. 

It had been during such a different time. The visit that had seemed so important and serious at the time, had in reality been nothing compared to today. But back then, Tony had no way of knowing what lay ahead. He had no way of knowing that the spat between the Avengers, between him and Steve, was nothing but a handful of petty, pointless arguments that couldn't hold a candle to the tragedy that they had to deal with now. 

He had no way of knowing what that visit, that first meeting two years ago in an apartment building that was so much like the one he was in front of now, would bring to his life. The anxiety and long nights of staring a screen, watching the blinking red light of the tracker as it flew around the city, hopping from crime to crime. The worry that he felt when he would have to stitch up wounds and replace bandages, hoping that a certain fiery Italian woman wouldn't find out. 

The light and joy and overwhelming feeling of warmth that would blossom in his chest during movie nights filled with snacks, laughter, and falling asleep on the couch under heaps of blankets. The contentment. The love.

Tony felt none of that now. He only felt hollow and tired as he faced what the world had become. 

Oh, how things could change. 

Tony knew that he could only delay this for so long, and honestly he just wanted to get it over with so he could go back to what little life he had left. Maybe try to figure out where to go from here, after he took a much needed month long nap. 

Tony could literally feel the bags under his eyes as he made his way through the building, and he briefly wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. Probably. Not much time had passed since... the incident, and Tony hadn't exactly cleaned up before heading over here. He didn't really feel the need to, but mostly he didn't have the energy. He was just too _tired_. 

Stopping in front of the appropriate door, Tony faltered as he raised his hand to knock. His heart began to beat wildly in his chest, the rhythm in perfect sync with the throbbing of the hole that was still in his side. Tony knew that he should have gotten proper medical attention, but his wounds seemed like such... minor things compared to the realty that was settling in his stomach.

This moment was something Tony had dreaded ever since his first visit in Queens two years ago. Sure, the terrifying scenarios that he had come up with in his head never included the destruction of half of the universe, but showing up on this doorstep to deliver horrible news was something Tony had come to fear during every mission or late night patrol. He used to pray that he would never have to live out those nightmares.

And now... here he was.

It was actually happening. 

Fear began to claw up his throat and he felt like he couldn't breathe as reality his him like a ton of bricks. Tony had thought that he understood when it had happened on that barren, wasteland of a planet that was half way across the galaxy. He thought that he had understood on the journey back to Earth when there was nothing to occupy his mind, and he was forced to just sit there and _think_. He really thought that he got it when he stepped off of the spaceship in Wakanda with only the cold-toned, blue girl at his side, and was greeted with the handful of people that was left of an already broken team.

But now, standing in front of this door, Tony truly understood. The only reason Tony was here was because _he_ was gone. And in that moment it felt like all of the light in the world had gone with him.  
There was nothing left but emptiness, grief, and horrible truths.

Tony could feel his throat begin to seize, panic gripping him tightly as he clung to the door frame, and tried his best to gulp down some air. Squeezing his eyes shut against the fear, the sorrow, the _reality_ , Tony grounded himself, focusing on the feeling of the wood of the door frame against his hands. He willed himself to breathe, to be calm.

He could do this. He _had_ to. There was no other choice.

So, he knocked.

It only took a moment for the door to swing open, and Tony knew that she had been waiting. May Parker stood before him, but she looked nothing like the vibrant woman he once knew, and he didn't really blame her. Her face was taunt with worry, her cheeks splotched and covered in tear tracks. Soft brown strands of hair stuck out in a frizzled mess around her head, her shirt was tear stained, and she had a wild, panicked look in her eyes, but Tony could tell she didn't care about her appearance.

She just wanted to know where her nephew was. 

May took one look at Tony, and fell still. She studied his no doubt wreck of a face for a moment before looking behind him as if expecting to see someone. She quickly glanced up and down the hallway, searching for something that Tony knew she wouldn't find. 

And by the look of terror that settled onto her face, May knew it, too.

“Where is he?” she asked, her voice sounding dry and strained. She crossed her arms over her chest as if to protect herself from what was to come. “Where is he, Stark?”

Tony tried to say it, he tried to find the words to explain, but the truth caught in his throat and refused to come out. “May, I...”

“Where is he?! Where is Peter?!” May suddenly shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. Tears spilled over her cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away. Instead her arms fell to her side and her hands curled into tight fists as she screamed, glaring hatefully at him like this was all his fault. Which it was. “WHERE IS MY BOY?! TELL ME!”

Once again, the words wouldn't come. Why wouldn't they come? All he had to do was say a few simple words. _'He's gone. Forever. I was supposed to protect him, and now he's gone.'_ Easy, right? Then why couldn't he just _say_ it?

May faltered at the silence, and her angry exterior seemed to crack, panic beginning to slip though. She took a small step back.

“He was supposed to be on a field trip with Ned,” May said, and though she was no longer shouting, Tony could still see the rage in her wet eyes. But beneath that anger was fear. Pure, absolute horror at the idea of what could have become of the boy she had raised. Her body shook as she spoke. “When reports of aliens in Manhattan came on the news, I... I just knew he'd get involved. Of _course_ he would. You know him, he can't go ten seconds without getting himself into danger.”

In any other situation, Tony would have laughed. But there was no humor in her voice. Only pain. 

May continued, “Then the aliens left and went to that city in Africa... Wakanda? I don't know, but they went there. I tried calling him, but he didn't answer. I called and called and _called_ , but he wouldn't answer his stupid phone like I told him to do! And then I saw you chasing after that ship on TV and I just knew... I knew that he was with you. He had to be. He's _always_ with you! All he ever wants to do is fight crime and be with you!”

Tony swallowed roughly. Pain swarmed him like a tidal wave as he remembered just how much the boy had looked up to him. Wherever Tony went, Peter wanted to follow. Even if it was to the ends of the universe. Tony swallowed again, trying his best to keep his eyes dry.

“And now... now people are turning to dust! Just disappearing into thin air! And Peter still won't answer his stupid phone! I called and I called, but he just...” May wrapped herself in her arms again as she stared at Tony with pleading eyes. Her lips trembled and her voice came out soft, the anger burnt out and replaced with desperation. “Please. Where is he? Where is my Peter?”

Tony stared at her, his expression empty. He wondered if he would ever _truly_ smile again, or if it would all be fake. Could anything really go back to normal after this? No, he realized as he took in the broken face of May Parker. No, it could not.

“He...” Tony choked out, casting his eyes to the floor, unable to take the pain in her eyes anymore. “He's gone. He was... he was one of them. He faded. He's _gone_.” 

May's eyes held an awful, tormented look to them as her hand slowly raised up to cover her mouth in horror. Her faced twisted in anguish and tears spilled out of her eyes. The weight of the truth was too much, and she collapsed to the ground, choking violently on the sobs that were quickly overcoming her. Tony was never good at comforting people, but her pain reflected onto him. It amplified what had already been there, bringing him to his knees. 

Tony pulled May into his chest and held her as she screamed, and he knew that when night had fallen and he was left alone with his nightmares, the broken cries of May Parker as she mourned her only child would replay over and over and over in his mind. It would torture him and tear him apart, just like the image of Peter turning to dust and the words _'I don't want to go.'_

Pepper had mentioned, before all of this, that Tony wasn't ready for a child. He had had a dream of having a kid, a son, and it had felt so _real_. Tony had wanted a child for himself. But now, as he held May Parker in his arms, he realized with crushing pain that he already had one. His name was Peter Parker.

And he was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! I actually cried while writing it, but I'm also a big pansy when it comes to Peter and Tony and the MCU... and a lot of things, really. I cry alot, okay?
> 
> I may consider writing about Ned, or MJ, or even Happy finding out about Peter's death, if ya'll want me to. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~John 3:16~  
> Jesus is my Lord (/^-^)/


End file.
